Tennessee’s renowned crafters and artisans believe in doing things the way they’ve been done for generations: by hand, with a keen eye for detail and old-fashioned quality.

Across Tennessee, artisans open the doors of their studios to share their techniques with visitors. Spend a day on the eight-mile Gatlinburg loop that makes up the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community, home to dozens of expert artisans. The quaint town of Norris is home to the Appalachian Arts Craft Center, where more than 70 artists ply their trades in one of the state’s oldest craft communities.

In Smithville, you’ll find the Appalachian Center for Craft, where you can browse fine crafts at the arts campus of Tennessee Tech University. Heart and Hands, in Franklin, is a collection of work by more than 40 artisans. Whether you prefer contemporary, primitive or somewhere in between, you’ll find something to suit in Tennessee’s fine crafts galleries. Selections at Chattanooga’s In-Town Gallery range from whimsical to traditional, while the esteemed Tennessee Pewter in Somerville offers some of the finest metal spinning and casting in the world.

You may even be inspired to learn a new skill at one of Tennessee’s unique craft schools. Gatlinburg’s Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts draws students from all over the world, or you can learn metalworking skills at the Metal Museum in Memphis.

Festivals throughout the state offer some of the finest handcrafts you’ll find anywhere. From the Fall Folklore Jamboree at the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum in Milan to the Music & Molasses festival in Nashville and the 4 Bridges Festival in Chattanooga, you'll find not only great music but also beautiful works from the hands of creative masters.

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Experience Arts & Crafts

Discover hidden treasures in workshops, studios and galleries throughout the state. Travel to arts and crafts fairs, learn a new skill at one of our fine craft schools, or just indulge your desire for beautiful, handmade works.